


Gensokyo Festival 2021 Drabbles

by Aardvark123



Series: All my Gensokyo Festival Stuff [5]
Category: Touhou Project
Genre: Anthology, Comedy, Drabble Collection, F/F, Fantasy, Gen, Gensokyo Festival, Multi, Prompt Fill
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-05
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-18 18:35:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 2,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29862357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aardvark123/pseuds/Aardvark123
Summary: Gensokyo is a world of wonder and danger where every day brings something new. Adventure, romance, excitement and all sorts of silliness await in this collection of thirty-one drabbles, each made freshly on the day for a new Gensokyo Festival prompt. This year, I may actually finish them all!
Relationships: Hakurei Reimu/Kirisame Marisa
Series: All my Gensokyo Festival Stuff [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1311350
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	1. Day 1: Dawn

**~An Early Dawn brings Many Trials and Tribulations for Sanae~**

Sanae was snoring peacefully in her green and white futon when she heard a thunk. Through bleary eyes she saw Kanako bashing the floor with a long wooden mallet.

"Why?" groaned Sanae, rubbing her eyes.

"There was a nail sticking out. You could've cut your foot," said Kanako, giving the floor one last mighty whack.

"But why NOW?!" cried Sanae. "Why must you fix it now?!"

Kanako turned her burning red gaze upon Sanae. "Do you question your goddess?"

Sanae pulled the blanket up over her eyes. "Good night, Lady Kanako," she said firmly.

"Sleepy brat," Kanako muttered affectionately.


	2. Day 2: Personality

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one’s about how different people react to adversity. I’m not sure Reimu actually would cry over a broken shoe, though. Maybe she was under a lot of stress to begin with...

**~Rebound like a Spring (or a Brick)~**

"Alas!" Reimu sobbed over her shoe. "Years of faithful service, and now..."

"It's just the strap. You can sew it back on," Marisa consoled her.

"But the cost! The minutes of work! I'd rather die..." sniffled Reimu.

Alice came running over. "Marisa, I'm so sorry! Goliath Doll tripped over your house! It collapsed like plywood!"

Marisa gasped. "My house?! Augh, I'm gonna need lumber, bricks, tiles... C'mon, Alice, help me dig another foundations!" She mounted her broom and flew away.

Reimu blinked. "Is she actually excited?"

"She loves doing DIY around me," sighed Alice. "I think it's a mating display..."


	3. Day 3: Rubbish

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today I have a special treat for my fans: not one, not three, but two drabbles! About rubbish, wellington boots, tsukumogami, and the intersection of those three seemingly disparate categories.

**~Booted Out~**

Meiling went out after a storm to check the garden. Halfway through a deep puddle on the path, she screamed.

"Five months and you're already leaking?! Get off my feet!" Meiling hurled her wellies over the wall and ran back inside for some better footwear.

Meiling emerged in brown work-boots, accompanied by a maid. She watched bemusedly as Sakuya hopped the wall. "I don't know why you're bothering..."

"It's such a waste!" Sakuya cried, alighting beside the forlorn green boots among the weeds. "Wellies are for life, not just for Hinamatsuri. There must be something better to do with these..."

* * *

Next morning, Kogasa found a woman slumped against the wall, dressed in green with pink flowers in her hair.

Kogasa sat down. The woman's teary eyes darted up at her. "Who are you?!"

"Kogasa. I was an umbrella once," said Kogasa, attempting an encouraging smile. "What's your name? What happened?"

"I started leaking. Meiling abandoned me," the woman sniffled. "Then I lay for a hundred years overnight... My name? It's probably Ayumi Takao."

"Oh..." Kogasa sighed. "You were boots, right?"

"Yes." Ayumi's expression soured. "She called me comfy, you know. But the moment I let her down, that was it."


	4. Day 4: Lazy Day at Home

**~House of Many Cakes~**

"Do you have shogi?"

"Not in there! That's the sake cupboard!"

Reimu was visiting Marisa. Her house felt like a mystical clutter forest.

"Where's the board game cupboard?"

"It's those shelves," Marisa pointed. "And that box under the cake cupboard."

"There's five cakes on your shoe shelf..." Reimu sniffed at a Victoria sponge topped with sandals.

"True," said Marisa. "My cake cupboard's been commandeered for spare salami."

"If I marry you," asked Reimu, "will I get that strawberry cake?"

Marisa laughed. "Marry me and every cake in the east wing's yours!"

"You have MORE cakes?! I'm buying a ring immediately!"


	5. Day 5: Games

**~Sport of Kings~**

"What's this, then?" asked Reimu, peering at the chalk outlines Marisa was drawing, clad in shorts and a yellow jersey.

"Only the Outside World's favourite game," Marisa said casually. She pocketed her chalk, getting dust on her dress. "Pretty cool, right? It started three thousand years ago in Mesopotamia when, uh... All right, what's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing!" Sanae giggled into her hand.

"We're just overwhelmed seeing our favourite sport reach Gensokyo!" said Sumireko sweetly. "I used to dream of joining the major leagues."

"Then let's get it started!" yelled Marisa. "Youmu, throw your stone and LET'S PLAY SOME HOPSCOTCH!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've always felt like Marisa would be the sporty type.


	6. Day 6: Dress

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today’s drabble is not a drabble; there was no way I could condense everything I wanted to say down into 100 words. It’s about Sumireko’s journey of self-discovery.

**~Dress to Express~**

**OR:**

**~This One Comes from the Heart~**

On a sunny evening, Reimu found Sumireko spinning along the mountain road that led to her shrine. She was laughing gleefully, whirling around without a care, and the hem of her dress seemed to sparkle where it caught the light.

Reimu was amazed, right up until she saw how close Sumireko’s feet were getting to a crumbling eight-foot drop. “Hey, mind the cliff!” she yelled.

Sumireko froze. “R-Reimu! Oh, Christ, I didn’t think you were- I didn’t think anyone was…” Her cheeks grew redder with every word. “I was coming up to visit you, actually… I brought some ramune. Um, how are you?”

“I’m fine. You know, I was only warning you about the cliff there, Sumi. I don’t mind the… dancing,” said Reimu.

“Oh… Well, thanks.” Sumireko laughed nervously and smiled. “I’ve been in a good mood lately.”

“Is that a new dress?” asked Reimu, bracing herself for a wave of enthusiasm.

“Oh, yes! This is the first time I’ve ever worn it. I put the sequins in myself,” said Sumireko. Seeing Reimu’s look of surprise, she continued. “My parents both think I’m a cosplayer now, so they’ve been getting me sewing things for my birthday. I wanted to try something sparkly, I suppose…”

“It is sparkly,” said Reimu earnestly. “You’ve definitely accomplished some sparkliness right there.”

“Does it look silly on me? No, don’t answer that!” Sumireko cut Reimu off. “I shouldn’t worry about looking silly, should I? It’s just, I’ve never worn something like this before.”

Reimu nodded. “Sequins are expensive in your world, aren’t they?”

“Um?” Sumireko blinked. “Well, no… I was more worried about what people might think. I used to worry about that all the time. Then I started pushing people away…”

“Right…” Reimu could sense a long, difficult conversation stretching out ahead. “Anyway, I need to get some rice, so I won’t keep you-”

“I think it was you.” Sumireko grabbed Reimu’s shoulders, her eyes wide and adoring. “You, Marisa, Mokou, Kasen, Rinnosuke, Mamizou… You all helped me!”

Reimu’s heart sank. “We did? That’s wonderful, but…”

“You showed me how to live! You showed me I didn’t have to play the lonely smart girl or the normal daughter any more.” Sumireko clasped her hands over her heart, allowing a relieved Reimu to step away. “You showed me I could be loud and strong and crazy and bright, be a Sumireko with all my heart, and that’d be enough! And if Dad thinks it’s a big, hilarious joke when I put sequins in my dress, so what?! It’s not his dress!”

“Great! Brilliant! Anyway, I must dash…”

“I just love all this! Don’t you?!” squeaked Sumireko. She hardly seemed to realise she was spinning again, floating up into the air in a whirl of purple light. “I love spell-cards! I love fashion! I love girls, I love being a girl, and I won’t apologise for any of it! Not any more! I love fighting and drinking and adventures and I LOVE GENSOKYO!”

Sumireko hovered for a few more seconds, a blissful smile upon her face, and then she fell in a heap on the path.

“Oof… I Didn’t notice I was flying,” groaned Sumireko. She staggered to her feet and brushed a little dust off her dress. “Don’t worry, I’m fine… Um, Reimu? Reimu?”

As she looked around, Sumireko realised the mountainside was well and truly Reimuless. She was the only person there.

“Guess I’ll leave her a bottle of ramune, then.” Sumireko picked up her feet and headed back towards the shrine. After a few seconds she started spinning again.


	7. Day 7: Beach

**~Horsing Around~**

Warm sand shifted under Miko’s toes. She breathed deeply and sighed. “I love the beach.”

“Me too. It’s so great for running!” Saki laughed loudly.

“That’s one way of enjoying it.” Miko smiled. “Say, I was thinking-”

“No.”

“For old time’s sake-”

“No.”

“Saki, you haven’t heard what-!”

“I’m not letting you ride me!”

Miko pouted. “Fine. You’re probably not that fast any more…”

Saki scoffed. “My legs require a motorbike license!”

“Well,” smirked Miko, “I’ll bet you can’t beat me to… THAT DUNE! Go!”

“Oh, you little-!” Saki shot after her, kicking up sand. “I’ll bite your hair off!”


	8. Day 8: Music

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For day 8, music is not the theme so much as the catalyst for two emotionally-charged drabbles about Byakuren’s relationship with Kyouko.

**~Echoes of Estranged Hearts~**

Byakuren broached a tricky subject over breakfast. “I must know,” she said. “What on Earth do you see in punk rock?”

“Hm?” Kyouko swallowed her rice. “Well, me and Mystia have stuff we wanna say about life and… things.”

“Yes, I read in the newspaper how Buddhism was boring you.”

A heavy silence followed.

“It’s nothing personal,” said Kyouko. “I respect you, Lady B-”

“It IS personal. Personal to you. So talk to me!” cried Byakuren. “Help me understand so I can help you.”

Kyouko couldn’t meet her gaze. “I just get bored, which makes me angry… What’s to understand?!”

* * *

“And then she just stopped talking.” Byakuren breathed a deep, heartfelt sigh and lay her head in Shou’s lap. “How do you touch a yamabiko’s heart?”

“I don’t know…” Shou was used to being Byakuren’s pillow, but offering emotional support was new. “Maybe you should give her some space.”

“Ignore the problem, you mean? That’s not what I do, Shou…” Byakuren leapt to her feet, almost dragging Shou behind her. “Ohh, bugger everything, I hate this! I WANT OUR KYOUKO BACK!”

Shou stared in amazement. “Byakuren, breathe!”

“Oh, my days,” breathed Byakuren. “Shou, I think I understand what she’s feeling.”


	9. Day 9: Chilly

**~Safe In Her Arms~**

The wind howled, rain battered the windows, and Sumireko was shivering under her star-dappled quilt. On those nights, she was grateful to have company.

Sumireko’s company lay in her arms, warm and quiet, his pointy nose burrowing into her neck. Sumireko squeezed him and pulled the quilt tighter, shivering to get some warmth. When would the heater be repaired? She knew she’d die before admitting she needed an electric blanket.

“We’ll be fine. I love you, Mr Bunnykins…” Sumireko mumbled, kissing her plushie between his floppy ears. She lay there and tried to dream of summer days at the shrine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because life's too short to sleep without a cuddly toy.


	10. Day 10: Fear

**~Fairies Exert Axidental Ruination~**

“Trust me, this is gonna be amazing!” Holding a basket of moon cakes, Sunny crept across the shrine decking.

“What if she-” Luna heard a thunk and a crash. Shards of pottery jumped past her feet. “What was that?”

Star went pale. “Reimu’s vase… She’ll kill us!”

“She’ll tar and feather us!” gasped Sunny, grabbing Star’s hand.

“She’ll have us drawn and quartered!” sobbed Luna, clinging to Sunny.

Reimu poked her head out side. “What’s all this commotion?”

“RUN!” screamed Sunny, dragging her sisters away.

“Is that Seija’s prized vase?” muttered Reimu. “Oh, it’s already smashed! Saves me some trouble.”


	11. Day 11: Childhood

**~Big Dreams~**

“…But Amaterasu still wouldn’t go anywhere near Tsukiyomi, so now the Sun only appears during daylight hours,” Keine finished. “Any questions, children?”

A boy raised his hand. “What were her spell-cards?”

Groaning inwardly, Keine responded. “It happened before the spell-card system, so I couldn’t say.”

“Oh. I bet they were really super amazing!” the boy smiled.

“I’ll be an even more amazing sun goddess when I grow up! Miss, should I go to a vocational college for goddess training?” a girl asked.

“I don’t think Amaterasu is likely to retire soon,” sighed Keine. “Unlike a certain were-hakutaku in my acquaintance.”


	12. Day 12: Temple

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have invented a new art form, the 121-word drabble! This one’s about Sumireko and Sanae enjoying some modern-age entertainment.

**~And They Call It Cooperative Play~**

Sumireko was showing Sanae how to play Minecraft. “It’s safe here in daylight,” she explained as their avatars crunched across the desert. “Just don’t touch any cacti.”

“They don’t explode?!” cried Sanae.

“No, they’re just prickly- Oh!” Sumireko gasped. “A desert temple! Let’s go!”

They went.

“Will there be one of those spawner thingies?” Sanae whispered as they crept inside.

“No, just a big hole full of…” Sumireko paused. “You’ve got feather falling boots, right? Why don’t you just break that blue terracotta in the middle and take the easy way down?”

“You mean fall? I don’t know…”

“Oh, yes!” Sumireko giggled. “You’ll have a blast when you land!”

“I’m digging a staircase,” decided Sanae, digging a staircase.

“Spoilsport,” pouted Sumireko.


	13. Day 13: Light and Darkness

**~Sweet Screams, Youmu~**

Youmu yawned. “Oh, look at the time! I must sleep,” she decided, abandoning her needle. “I can fix Lady Yuyuko’s tights tomorrow.”

Youmu changed into her night-dress and locked the door. She peeked through the curtains and, seeing only stars above and glowing eyes in the garden, closed them.

With another yawn, she lit eight strategically-placed candles, poured oil in her lamp, donned her frilly green eyemask and slid into her futon. Within minutes, she was snoring peacefully.

Then she woke up flailing. “It’s dark in that thing!” she screamed, pulling off her mask. “Thought a salamander had eaten me…”


	14. Day 14: Tea for Two

**~Schrödinger’s Guest for Tea~**

“Here’s your tea!” Wearing an apron slightly too small, Utsuho poured Satori some matcha. The warm, leafy smell wafted through the room.

“Thank you.” Satori moved to take a sip, but was intercepted.

“And here’s your hug!” Laying down the teapot, Utsuho squeezed Satori around the waist, crushing her slightly. “I’ll be in the reactor if you need me. Bon appetit!”

“Augh… Wait, what about Koishi?”

Satori felt Ustuho wracking her brains. “Oh, your… Imaginary sister? All right! Here you are, Kanako!”

“Thank you,” Koishi whispered as Utsuho poured her tea.

“Koishi thanks you,” Satori said with a pained smile.

Utsuho squinted at the green blur opposite Satori. “You’re welcome… Arashi?”

“Koishi.”

“Roushi?”

“Koishi.”

“Ryuichi?”

“Call me Koko!” Koishi giggled. “Or Ishi!”

Utsuho gasped. “Ryoko Hoshi, AKA Princess Yullian from the Land of Light?! I’m honoured, Your Highness!”

“I hope we’re not keeping you, Okuu,” Satori said pointedly.

Utsuho shook her head. “Oh, no, I’ll happily stay to meet…” Her brow furrowed. “Who was she again? The red lady?”

“I’m no-one!” smiled Koishi.

“She’s Koishi,” said Satori. “My sister.”

“Oh, of course! Your sister!” Utsuho smacked her head. “Flandre, right?”

Satori burst into tears. Koishi drank her tea in silence.


	15. Day 15: Space

**~This Time Next Week, They Won’t Be Millionaires~**

“Keep pulling, Shion!”

“It’s heavy…”

“I don’t care! Keep pulling!”

Shion was sweating in the glass fish bowl she had for a helmet. “I keep telling you, Jo'on, nobody’s going to buy an asteroid…”

“It’ll be a collector’s item!” snapped Jo'on.

“Then why’ve I got the big one?”

“Because you’re poor, Shion. That means you’re used to hardship, right?” smirked Jo'on.

Shion sighed and adjusted her grip on the rope. The asteroid wobbled as she hauled it through the endless black.

“How far to Earth?” asked Shion.

“Just another two hundred thousand miles,” said Jo'on. “Come on, let’s sing something!”


End file.
